The present invention relates to a vapor inhalation device comprising a container for medicated liquid to be vaporized and a cover situated over the container adapted to communicate with a breathing mask which is positionable over the mouth and/or nose of the user.
In vapor inhalation devices of the type described above, an active substance containing essential oils and/or other medications is combined with hot water in the container to form a medicated liquid. During therapy, the mouth and nose of the user are pressed firmly against the breathing mask so that the vapors rising from the heated medicated liquid can be inhaled. In most designs, the cover is substantially conical in shape and the breathing mask is provided at the narrow end thereof.
It has been found that while such conventional devices are extremely simple in construction, they do not always function in an optimal manner since the rate of vaporization of the active substance is a function of the temperature of the medicated liquid and decreases rapidly as the liquid cools. Thus, at the beginning of the therapy, the temperature of the medicated liquid is relatively high so that vapors are formed having a high concentration of the effective substances. However, these vapors must be inhaled slowly and carefully due to their high temperatures. The range of high temperatures which provide optimal conditions for the vaporization of the active substances and, therefore, for optimization of the therapeutic process, can therefore not be fully taken advantage of.
On the other hand, as the medicated liquid cools to a lower, median temperature range, a more comfortable inhalation of the vapors is possible. However, the concentration of the therapeutic substances in the inhaled vapor is diminished. The temperature range of the medicated liquid drops fairly quickly with continued therapy and, accordingly, the concentration of the therapeutic substances within the inhaled vapors also rapidly diminishes. A point is eventually reached where no active therapeutic substances are contained in the vapor being inhaled and the therapy is for this reason often terminated prematurely. This is despite the fact that active therapeutic substances are indeed contained in the medicated liquid in adequate quantities.